Network Security
When it comes to network security, it is easy for small to medium sized practices to say “not me”, “they are only after the big guys.” The reality is that attacks on all networks have been increasing year after year as hackers have become more sophisticated, and small businesses are being affected every day by relaxed or non-existent security policies.
A few sobering statistics for the small office network:
- 58% of malware attack victims are categorized as small businesses. *Verizon 2018 DBIR
- In 2017, cyber attacks cost small and medium-sized businesses an average of $2,235,000. *Ponemon 2017 State of Cybersecurity in SMBs
- 92.4% of malware is delivered via email. *Verizon 2018 DBIR
- 60% of small companies are unable to sustain their businesses over six months after a cyber attack. *US National Cyber Security Alliance 2016
- Advanced malware protection and prevention is the #1 budget priority for small businesses. *2018 IT Budget Priorities Report
With ever-increasing technological advances, it is likely that since then, these numbers have climbed, posing a significant risk for a potential breach, lost or stolen data, or some type of malicious threat. With HIPAA in full effect, you quite literally cannot afford to be lax on the security of your patient data.
It's not all bad news though. There are a number of ways FamilyIT helps to ensure that you and your patients' data are safe:
- Software Security Updates – Keeping computers and network equipment fully updated is one of the most effective steps to preventing a possible network security issue. Every day new updates come out to patch vulnerabilities that were found yesterday, the longer you wait to update the more exposed you are.
- Managed Hardware Firewall – A common mistake in most small to mid-sized practices is the lack of a business grade hardware firewall solution. The one built into your Verizon or Comcast router won’t cut it. You need a hardware firewall with active packet inspection and gateway anti-virus software that is updated regularly and managed by an IT professional.
- Managed Antivirus Software – Most people know you need antivirus on your computer, but many don’t realize why it’s so important to have good antivirus managed by an IT pro until it’s too late and a virus is holding your data hostage. Your antivirus software should also be scanning emails and their attachments as this is an extremely common attack vector for malware.
- Employee Security Awareness - Remember that statistic above? Over 94% of malware comes from email. Simple employee training can help prevent John Doe downloading that excel sheet attachment from a scammer that actually holds a virus. FamilyIT can help train staff to better identify harmful emails and attachments.